It’s easy to complain. The negative aspects of any situation are always abundantly clear because when you’re hungry, tired, and beaten down, that’s all you can think about. It’s human nature to wallow in your sorrows, but the only way to dig your way out is to find the upside. And there is always an upside.

Jocko Willink, author of Extreme Ownership and host of “The Jocko Podcast,” even has a video online called “Good” that highlights this point. He says, “When things are going bad, there’s going to be some good that’s going to come from it…Didn’t get promoted? Good. More time to get better... Got beat? Good. We learned. Unexpected problems? Good. We have the opportunity to figure out a solution.”

That’s a tough line to hold, but he’s right. You don’t learn or grow when things are easy, especially with your personal finances. Didn’t get the raise you wanted? Good. You will be more focused on that side hustle you’ve been trying to start. Credit card bill too high? Good. You can learn to control your spending. Family vacation too expensive? Good. You can spend some quality time at home with the TV off.

Despite how it feels, more money is not always the answer to your problems. At minimum, living on a budget gives you confidence that you can survive that way—those who have always had money and never lived modestly don’t know what they are capable of enduring. But, most importantly, it helps you value things that truly matter like family and friends.

But if you want to work your way out of financial difficulty, it’s important for you to spin it in a positive light. Negative thoughts breed negative consequences. But when you own the situation and start looking for something good to come out of it, eventually it will.

Josh Norris is an Investment Advisory Representative of LeFleur Financial. Josh can be reached at josh@LeFleurFinancial.com.

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